Item Coversheet

NEW BUSINESS  18.

COMMITTEE MEMORANDUM

TO: Finance and Citywide Projects Committee Members


FROM:
Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager


DATE: March 22, 2019


SUBJECT:DISCUSSION REGARDING THE MAYOR'S BLUE RIBBON 41ST STREET COMMITTEE MOTIONS


KEY INTENDED OUTCOME:
Revitalize Key Neighborhoods, Starting With North Beach And Ocean Drive

HISTORY:

During the November 19, 2018 meeting of the 41st Street Committee meeting, two (2) motions were discussed and passed:

 

1) Motion to utilize intersection of 41st Street and Pine Tree Drive as a test study, with a non-sworn officer, to help alleviate congested traffic between the hours of 3:30pm to 6:00pm, Monday to Friday.

 

2) Motion to install a temporary parklet in front of Tasty Beach Café, assuming Tasty ownership approval and in exchange for extended evening hours to activate nightlife, and use funding from the $100,000 budgeted in FY 18/19 to be used for this purpose. During the November FCWPC and NCAC meetings, staff shared that two senior classes from Design and Architecture High School (DASH) were designing storefront designs and parklet designs for 41st Street under the direction of 41st Street Committee member and DASH teacher Eric Hankin. The both FCWPC and NCAC viewed a few the student storefront designs and NCAC asked that the students reflect more on the essence of Miami Beach in their designs. Staff (Economic Development, Communications and Planning) worked with the students on both the storefront and parklet designs by providing Miami Beach color plate and sharing the specifications of the Washington Avenue parklet program requirements.

 

At the February 13, 2019 Commission meeting, the Mayor and Commissioner referred these motions to the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee discuss the motions.

 

 


ANALYSIS:

 

Motion #1: Non-Sworn Officer at $1st St and Pine Tree Drive

The Police Department supports any reasonable efforts to improve safety along the 41st Street corridor. If the community is interested in exploring a pilot police sub-station the following costs would apply:

 

Public Safety Specialist - $20.2868 per hour.

 

If we do a one (1) month pilot, placing a Public Safety Specialist from 3:30 - 6:00pm (plus 30 minute commute time) five (5) days a week, the cost would be:

  • three (3) hours x five (5) days = 15 hours per week
  • 15 x 4 weeks = 60 hours
  • 60 hours x $20.2868 - $1,217.20 per month

 

This does not take into account the overtime rat (1.5) that would likely apply to some of these hours.

 

The Police Department is supportive of this pilot, but long term it would have impact on their current staffing and overtime may result.

 

 

Motion #2: Install Temporary Parklet

During the February 41st Street Committee meeting, the Coittee viewed storefront designs by  Design and Architecture High School (DASH) students, under the direction of 41st Street Committee member Eric Hankins and DASH instructor. The Economic Development, Communications, Planning and Parking departments reviewed 20+ designs and selected the top 4 designs to be presented to the 41st Street Committee. During the February 2019 meeting, the 41st Street Committee selected one design to be a pilot parklet for the 41st Street corridor. (see Exhibit B)

 

In addition, the Tasty Beach Café agreed to have the pilot parklet in front of their store and to extended their evening hours to activate nightlife in the corridor.

 

Lastly, during the February 41st Street Committee meeting, the Committee voted to prioritize the cost of the pilot parklet with the FY 18/19 Mid-Beach Quality of Life ("MBQOL") funds.

 

Staff is working with Property Management to assess the cost to build, place and maintain the student designed parklet.

 

Since August 2018, the 41st Street Committee has made twenty one (21) motions some of which also recommended use of the $100,000 in MBQOL funds budgeted in FY 2018/19 for capital project 41st Street Short Term Improvements (see highlighted items below).

 

1. Motion to adopt the Gehl Studio design recommendation as the vision for 41st Street corridor.

2. Motion to recommend the following pilot projects be made a priority for future implementation: parklets, temporary shade structures, increased lighting, programming and a pilot bicycle land on 41st street.

3. Motion to recommend FWCPC allocate funding and prioritize 41st Street as an area for opportunity for temporary and creative shade structure or artistic installation

4. Motion to partner with Design and Architecture High School (DASH) to develop parklet and storefront covering designs and allocate $40k of the MBQOL funds to be used for this purpose.

5. Motion to recommend the City Commission select the 41st Street corridor as a site for the installation of a pilot creative shade structure/artistic element project.

6. Motion to address the mentally and physically ill homeless population on 41st Street.

7. Motion to utilize the intersection of 41st Street & Pine Tree Drive as a test study with a non-sworn officer to help alleviate congested traffic in the afternoon.

8. Motion to install a temporary parklet in front of Tasty Beach Café.

9. Motion to explore the possibility of reestablishing a sub-station on 41st Street

10.Motion to prioritize improving the lighting on the 41st Street corridor and allocate MBQOL funds toward lighting the trees on 41st Street.

11.Motion to modify the zoning regulations for the 41st Street corridor.

12.Motion to support the City's efforts to streamline the temporary pop-up store process.

13.Motion to prioritize the use of the MBQOL funds on year-round lighting on 41th Street corridor and pilot parklet activiation.

14.Motion to select Synthesis parklet design by Omar Leon, a DASH student.

15.Motion to allow temporary retail pop-up stores in vacant storefronts on 41st Street.

16.Motion to find funding for New Tropic to highlight the 41st Street corridor.

17.Motion to have Jim Morrison & Company present a revised lighting design package.

18.Motion to support the Chair.

19.Motion to hire Alta/Gehl to do a phase II of the design and vision plan.

20.Motion to recommend the City issue RFPs for City owned parking lots on 41st Street.

21.Motion to extend the 41st Street Committee for one more year.

As a result of the prior motions, the FCWPC recommended and Commission approved the following for use of the $100,000 in MBQOL funds budgeted in FY 2018/19 for 41st Street Short Term Improvements:

  • $50,000 for a temporary artistic installation on 41st Street.

 

In addition, staff has been following up on with the following actions:

  • Issuing a solicitation for a temporary artistic installation on 41st Street;
  • Working with DASH students/teachers to create storefront cover and parklet designs in the 41st Street corridor;
  • Determining the cost of changing the lighting along the 41st Street corridor - estimated at $100,000
  • Determining the cost of lighting all of the trees along the 41st Street corridor - estimated at $600,000

  

 

 



CONCLUSION:

Motion #1: Non-sworn Officer at 41st St and Pine Tree Drive

The Administration recommends a short-term pilot of a non-sworn officer at the intersection of 41st Street and Pine Tree Drive, at a cost of  $1,217.20 per month, to observe the measurable impact on the corridor. 

 

Motion #2 Install Temporary Parklet

 

The Administration recommends the installation of a temporary parklet, the use of the DASH student parklet design for the use of the Mid-Beach Quality of Life funds to fund the parklet construction, placement and maintenance.  However, it should be noted that in conjunction with the artistic installation, this will likely leave minimal funding for the other items recommended by the Committee including (corridor lighting of trees, and storefront covers,).  The Administration recommends that these additional items be pursued through the FY 2019/20 budget development process.


ATTACHMENTS:
DescriptionType
Exhibit A LTC 41st Street Committee Motion November 2018Memo
Exhibit B DASH Parklet DesignsMemo